Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

The DWP has been caught ripping off a number of other government agencies, overcharging the likes of the LAUSD, the County of LA and others.  The utility has agreed to pay out a $160million settlement to the county, local schools, community colleges and the MTA to settle a court case brought by the agencies.   Eric R. Havian, whose law firm sued the DWP in 2000, called the money "much-needed."

The battle over same-sex marriage in California, Proposition 8 on next week's ballot, has generated nearly $60 million in contributions for both side. The Mormon Church as well the Catholic all-male fraternity, The Knights of Columbus are among the major contributors to the Yes on 8 campaign which would outlaw gay marriage.  In a related story, controversial former Silver Lake Neighborhood  Council member Jason Lyon, who is openly gay and married his partner recently, writes in CityWatch that the battle over 8 is "whether real people, real Californians like me and my family, will be stripped of a fundamental right."

Major controversy over the refusal of the LA Times to release a video tape showing Barack Obama describe his friendship with Rashid Khalidi, a controversial Palestinian-American activist who makes frequent criticism of Israel. In the video at a Chicago luncheon honoring Khalidi, Obama allegedly described frequent discussions the pair have had around Khalidi's "dinner table."  The McCain campaign has asked the LA Obama Times to release the video but so far the paper declines.

In case you were wondering if television producers have run out of ideas for TV shows, they have.  MTV reports that HBO is working to sign Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton to star in a new sitcom about three housemates trying to make it big in Hollywood.  No word if LAPD Chief Bill Bratton or Council Member Dennis Zine will make cameos.

Wednesday Hotsheet at 3 a.m.

JM, Dawn: Roses Bushes, 1.16.08


Joseph Mailander a guy in la • elsewhere • email

I know, it's California. But Brand Library and Exposition Park have already done it. I've done it. And you should do it too: cut back your roses. This nice cold morning snap will let their aching bones rest a bit. And feed them when they have an inch of growth on them next month.

"Suicide by cop" is responsible for 11% of all LAPD shootings, the Police Commision learned yesterday. Suicide by cop is shorthand for the shooting of a crazed individual who seems bent on ending it all in a confrontation with police.

If you want to try to navigate the mined waters and file a motion in City Council through a Neighborhood Council, you're going to have to put a financial statement on record, City Council declares as the matter finally comes up for vote after two years of wrangling. (This seems to have the boys here expletive-level angry.)

Indeed, if you believe that this was truly a last-minute sudden thought, and not a long-meditated hijacking of the the spirit of the Motions motion, you just may be naive enough to think your ideas for the City will be heard by Council in good faith.

Speaking of secessionism, there were rumblings of it again in Hollywood last week, ironically just before Johnny Grant died, as the Independent made the idea their headliner. But the idea of Citywide voters becoming willing to ditch Hollywood remains quite farfetched.

"Someone left the crack out in the rain": Nobody covenanted for sustained maintenence of the private surveillance video cameras in the public space known as MacArthur Park, so Council today is obliged to ply its wisdom to the deteriorating situation. The former fishwrap of record says as much in about 1500 words. Thus it ever is when private public "partnerships" by committee require sustained economic support: the private businesses spring for the razors, and the City gets stuck with the blades.

If you want to try to navigate the mined waters and file a motion in City Council through a Neighborhood Council, you're going to have to put a financial statement on record, City Council declares as the matter finally comes up for vote after two years of wrangling. [This seems to have the boys here expletive-level angry, fwiw.]

Indeed, if you believe that this was truly a last-minute sudden thought, and not a long-meditated hijacking of the the spirit of the Motions motion, you just may be naive enough to think your ideas for the City will be heard by Council in good faith.

Reminds me: a couple years ago, Jason Lyon told me he wasn't a politician. But he's one of the guys backing Prop S on your Voter Information Guide, and he speaks for the NC's quite a bit when they need a quote. There have been accusations in the past that he's used Neighborhood Council-culled email lists for non-NC political purposes---a no-no.

Cooley's raise went through with no opposed. Not even Zev. He now makes far more than any United States Supreme Court justice, and in an easier real estate market. Interesting take: the Daily News article gets into speculation regarding the way Cooley looks the other way on Brown Act violations, which at the County might become fairly routine in a less backroomy political environment.

If you wonder whether or not this is a slap in the face to both Hillary and the Mayor, it is: the region's leading labor leader, Maria Elena Durazo, backs Obama. Do you note how the candidates are arriving here just as absentee ballots arrive in your mailbox? If there had been more absentee balloting in New Hamshire, Obama would be the frontrunner today.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

Well known Silver Lake activist Jason Lyon was booted from the local neighborhood council when city arbiter Michael de la Rocha ruled that Lyon had allegedly violated election rules by using a neighborhood council email list to campaign for office. At the same time the arbiter strongly urged DONE to develop stricter rules around the use and maintenance of such lists.

The next time you hear a politician saying we need money for government services and we need to raise taxes, remember this bit of news: A county agency spent $1.2 million on printer toner in one month - enough toner to last for four years, except the toner only has a shelf life of two.

Here's the latest on the Coliseum-USC battle: 1) The Mayor throws the Coliseum under the bus, 2) The LA Times is worried the stadium will become a relic and 3) County Supervisor Don Knabe may be worried he's not going to get free SC home games tix anymore.

Some goofy liberals think that building major housing developments without parking will get people to ride buses. Other goofy liberals think that same plan is part of some conspiracy to make driving and parking only for the rich.

Skid Row has been a seething urine-soaked cesspool for decades. Now, artists, developers and others are coming in to clean up the place and make it livable. For some reason that's considered evil. What's really evil is that the homeless - of whom 90% are mentally ill and in need of institutionalization - are allowed to be homeless and are enabled in their socially and personally destructive behaivors by the liberal elites in this city.

Fresh off his street sweeping performance, Clown Prince of the City Clowncil Tom LeBong is the latest elected after your wallet. Once content with only putting lights on statues in dangerous parks, LeBong wants a parcel tax for transit.

Thanks to the amazing efforts of several companies of Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters, a building in the Fashion District was save major damage when hit by a recent blaze.

Once again in the news, Rodney King was apparently shot in the face with some type of gun in San Bernardino. King's injuries were minor and he was sent home following treatment.

CurbedLA wonders if the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Downtown LA is cool or not. As a kid when the hotel was new, I remember getting a big kick out of riding the vacuum tube looking glass elevators than run on the outside of the building.

We cried foul when Tom LeBong got the City to pony up a few hundred grand for the Hollywood Santa Parade at the same time funding was cut for the pedal boats at MacArthur and Echo Parks, something enjoyed by low-income families. A Christmas Miracle has happened because once again the City figured how to bring the boats back.

No, it has nothing to do with his recent breakup with his soncha, but Mayor Villraigosa is getting an AIDS test. Yea, its another photo op but maybe it will do some good to encourage testing. Though I can't imagine too many people are sitting around saying "Well I should have an AIDS test but I wasn't going to hassle with it. But I'm going to get one now that Mayor Villaraigosa got one!"